In the NFL today, the San Diego Chargers are 2-3. Last season, they went 14-2. The Pittsburgh Steelers are 4-1, winning this week despite missing their top 2 wideouts and two all-pro defenders, Troy Polamalu and Casey Hampton. Last season they went 8-8 after a 2-6 start. Both teams have essentially the same personnel as last season; coaching is the main variable in both cases. I bring this up because Monday night, Buffalo Bills head coach Dick Jauron showed just how much a good coach matters – and how bad coaching can snatch defeat from the jaws of victory.
Consider this: The Bills intercepted Dallas QB Tony Romo FIVE TIMES, and also recovered a Romo fumble. They returned 2 INTs for touchdowns and added a kickoff return for a TD. With about 6 minutes to go in the fourth quarter and leading by eight, the Bills faced a third and 6 at the Cowboys’ 11 yard line. They started a rookie QB, who had admittedly played well but was still starting the second game of his career. If the Bills had run a draw, even if it’s stuffed they have a chip-shot field goal to go up 11. Instead, they called an out pattern, Dallas intercepted and ran it back to the Buffalo 35. the field goal would have all but put the game away, the coaches made a bad decision to pass.
The Cowboys scored a touchdown with 20 seconds left in the game, but they missed the 2-point conversion and in the process burned their last timeout. After a GREAT onside kick and a short pass, the Cowboys had 7 seconds left and were at Buffalo’s 42 yardline. The ONLY play the Cowboys had was a 5-10 yard ‘out’ route to get out of bounds..anything in the middle was a waste of time. The proper defense would have been to load the sidelines with defenders, play tight man on the wideouts, and leave 1 safety deep to defend the middle. Instead, the Bills’ corners played EXTREMELY soft man, giving the receivers 10-yard cushions and making the 8-yard out an easy pitch-and-catch. Again, a HORRIBLE strategy by the Bills’ coaching staff, and this one cost them the game as the Cowboys hit a 53-yard FG as time expired.
The Cowboys clearly have better personnel than the Bills, and you must give them (especially Romo) credit for their resilience..but this heroic comeback was only possible with a big assist from the Bills’ coaches.